Central Notes: Haliburton, Bradley, Collins, White, Cavs
Tyrese Haliburton is back on the court and playing full-contact basketball again, Dustin Dopirak writes for The Indianapolis Star. Seven months after tearing his Achilles in the Pacers‘ Game 7 loss to the Thunder, Haliburton is participating in in three-on-three and four-on-four scrimmages.
“I’m approaching week 31 here, so almost going on eight months,” Haliburton said in a recent appearance on LeBron James‘ Mind The Game podcast (Twitter video link). “Man, I feel really good. My body feels really good. I just started playing 3-on-3 and 4-on-4 full court. That’s been good to be with the (player development) interns and stuff. It’s been funny because as I’ve started playing with the interns and (assistant coach) Jannero Pargo, one of our player development guys, I’m playing with these guys and I feel so nice. I’m like, ‘Ooh, I can play in an NBA game right now.'”
Although his body feels good, Haliburton admitted that he got a taste of reality once he got on the court with teammates like Kam Jones, Ethan Thompson, and Bennedict Mathurin.
“First play, (Mathurin) comes down, hesi, shoots a three,” Haliburton said. “They’re like, ‘Go at him!’ He’s like, ‘Ah, his leg.’ I’m like, ‘Hey bruh, I’m fine. Attack me like normal. I gotta see where I’m at.’ He hesi’d me one time. He was at the rim, I was still at the three-point line. I was like, ‘Ohhh.’ I still got some time. I gotta give myself some grace and understand it’s going to take some time.”
The Pacers ruled out Haliburton for the 2025/26 season last summer, so we won’t see the star point guard playing in an NBA game before next fall. Still, the progress he has made in his recovery bodes well for his availability in training camp — and for a potential bounce-back ’26/27 season in Indiana. The team has one the NBA’s worst records this year at 12-36.
We have more from the Central Division:
- The Pacers have an open spot on their 15-man roster again after Tony Bradley‘s second 10-day contract expired overnight. If they want to bring back Bradley, the Pacers would have to sign him to a guaranteed rest-of-season deal, but won’t happen for now, tweets Tony East of Circle City Spin. I expect the team will hold that roster spot open for at least the next week in case it proves useful in a trade-deadline deal.
- Bulls big man Zach Collins – out since December 27 due to a toe injury – isn’t close to returning to action. Head coach Billy Donovan said on Wednesday that Collins is still wearing a walking boot and will be reevaluated in two weeks, per Dopirak (Twitter link).
- Bulls guard Coby White tells Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune (subscription required) that he’s taking a positive view of being the subject of so many trade rumors this season. “You’ve got to always look at it like — it’s good to be wanted, you know?” White said. “But I don’t really know what’s going to happen. I don’t have any clue. … I just want to see everybody succeed. Whatever direction they decide to go in or they’re deciding to go in, I want all these guys to succeed. I got drafted here, so I want the organization to succeed. I hope it works out for them, whatever they decide.”
- The raised court at the Cavaliers‘ Rocket Arena is under scrutiny again after Luka Doncic slipped off the sidelines and hurt his lower left leg on Wednesday night, writes Dan Woike of The Athletic. The Lakers star appeared to avoid a major injury, but it’s not the first time the court has been an issue — after Dru Smith suffered a season-ending ACL injury in 2023, the Heat contacted the NBA to express concerns about the gap between the arena floor and the playing surface. “It is absolutely a safety hazard,” Lakers head coach JJ Redick said. “And I don’t know why it’s still like that. I don’t. You know, you can lodge formal complaints. A lot of times you don’t see any change when you lodge a formal complaint.”
Eli Cohen contributed to this story.
Trade Rumors: Mathurin, Murray, Olynyk, Blazers, Nuggets
Chatter around the NBA suggests the Pacers are engaged in trade talks with multiple teams about fourth-year wing Bennedict Mathurin and appear likely to move him before next Thursday’s deadline, according to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints.
Reporting earlier in the month indicated that the Pacers had spoken to the Pelicans about a possible Mathurin deal, but it sounds like New Orleans isn’t the only team with the former lottery pick on its radar. While a right thumb sprain and turf toe have limited Mathurin to 25 appearances this season, he returned to action on Monday and is averaging 17.7 points in 31.8 minutes per game in the final year of his rookie contract.
If Mathurin remains with the Pacers through the deadline, he’ll be a sign-and-trade candidate this offseason, since Indiana – which already has over $177MM in guaranteed money on its books for next season – isn’t looking to give the 23-year-old a lucrative long-term contract in restricted free agency, Siegel writes.
Here are a few more trade rumors from across the league:
- There’s a sense that Pelicans guard Dejounte Murray and his representatives at Klutch Sports wouldn’t mind a change of scenery, says Siegel. New Orleans’ new front office brought in guards Jordan Poole and Jeremiah Fears last offseason, creating a more crowded backcourt. However, given that Murray continues to recover from an Achilles tear and has yet to make his season debut, it likely won’t be easy to move his three-year, $94MM contract at this point.
- In addition to Jeremy Sochan, big man Kelly Olynyk is also considered a Spurs trade candidate, per Siegel. Packaging those two players together would give San Antonio roughly $20.5MM in expiring salary for matching purposes, which could be useful on the trade market.
- Although Jerami Grant and Jrue Holiday are thought to be available, the Trail Blazers don’t consider themselves sellers and would likely only be open to moving Holiday if they can do so in a deal that “immediately improves their outlook,” Siegel writes.
- The Nuggets are widely expected to make a small trade to duck below the tax line, which they’re currently above by about $400K, says Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link). Denver is confident that can be done without giving up a rotation player, though teams around the NBA are curious about the Nuggets’ plans for Peyton Watson, who may be difficult to retain in restricted free agency this summer. Teams projected to have cap room, including the Lakers, are preparing for the possibility of making a run at Watson in July, sources tell Fischer.
- Front offices around the NBA are expecting several trades completed in the next eight days to require three or four teams, Fischer writes. The Nets, Hornets, and Jazz have made it clear to rival clubs that they’re willing to get involved in multi-team scenarios to take on salary and help grease the wheels on potential deals, sources tell The Stein Line.
Raptors Among Teams Eyeing Yves Missi
Pelicans center Yves Missi is among the potential targets on the Raptors‘ radar as they seek frontcourt help at the trade deadline, reports Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints.
With starting center Jakob Poeltl having battled back problems all season long, Toronto is believed to be looking to fortify its depth chart at the five while also ducking below the luxury tax line. The team, which is operating about $1MM into the tax, has been linked to big men like Daniel Gafford, Goga Bitadze, Day’Ron Sharpe, and Nick Richards over the course of the season.
The Raptors have also been connected to star-caliber bigs such as Anthony Davis of the Mavericks and Domantas Sabonis of the Kings, but they haven’t gained real traction on either front, sources tell Siegel, and they’re probably more inclined to make a smaller move.
At 29-19 (fourth in the East), Toronto has exceeded expectations so far this season, and Siegel suggests head coach Darko Rajakovic and the Raptors’ players have conveyed to management that they’d prefer if the roster isn’t shaken up too significantly.
A player like Missi would appeal to the Raptors – and other suitors – due to his modest salary ($3.4MM) and his favorable contract, which includes a $3.5MM salary for 2026/27 and a $5.6MM team option for ’27/28. The 21st overall pick in the 2024 draft, Missi started 67 games and averaged 26.8 minutes per game for New Orleans as a rookie, but has primarily come off the bench this season and has seen his MPG dip to 19.2.
Missi’s precise value on the trade market is unclear. According to Siegel, the consensus around the NBA is that the Pelicans will have to settle for multiple second-round draft picks if they move him. However, Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link) hears New Orleans wants to land a 2026 first-rounder for Missi and has already turned down at least one offer centered around second-round selections.
Toronto has also explored the idea of acquiring Missi as part of a larger package, per Siegel, who says the Raptors brought up the idea of offering RJ Barrett, Ochai Agbaji, and draft picks for Missi and Trey Murphy III. However, the Pelicans – who have been averse to the idea of trading Murphy at all – didn’t have interest in that framework.
The Pacers, Knicks, and Bulls are among the other teams previously reported to have expressed interest in Missi. According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, the Hawks, Celtics, and Lakers are also in that group of potential suitors.
Kings Rumors: Ellis, Poeltl, Kuminga, DeRozan, LaVine
A “ton” of teams have called the Kings to inquire about Keon Ellis, according to James Ham of Locked On Kings (YouTube link), who identifies the Timberwolves, Pacers, Celtics, and Knicks as a few of the clubs his sources suggest are worth monitoring as suitors for the fourth-year guard.
“From what I have heard, (they) have all called on Keon Ellis,” Ham said.
Ellis is an intriguing trade candidate because his $2.3MM expiring contract makes him an attainable piece for just about any NBA team, including clubs like Minnesota, Boston, and New York, who are operating above the first tax apron. If he’s dealt, Ellis’ Bird rights would travel with him and he’d become extension-eligible on February 9, just a few days after the trade deadline.
One weekend report suggested Ellis is among the players most likely to be moved at the deadline, with the Kings said to be seeking a late first-round pick.
Here’s more on the Kings:
- Discussing the possibility of the Raptors making a play for center Domantas Sabonis, Ham said the Kings have “zero interest” in acquiring big man Jakob Poeltl, who has battled back issues this season and is under contract through 2029/30 (YouTube link). “‘We’re not getting into the Jakob Poeltl business’ is what I was told,” Ham said, though he observed that the same source didn’t say anything about the Kings not getting into the “RJ Barrett business.” Barrett was drafted by the Knicks when current Kings general manager Scott Perry was in New York’s front office.
- Responding to speculation that the Raptors would seek Ellis along with Sabonis in a trade with the Kings, Ham says a source told him “unequivocally” that Toronto and Sacramento haven’t discussed Ellis to this point.
- The Kings are no longer willing to include any draft picks in a trade offer Jonathan Kuminga, but they remain interested in the Warriors forward, Ham confirms (YouTube link). “I do know for a fact that the Sacramento Kings have offered, in the past, DeMar DeRozan straight up for Jonathan Kuminga,” Ham said. Golden State would need to include one more player in that hypothetical deal in order to stay below its hard cap, but it doesn’t sound like the Warriors have real interest in DeRozan anyway.
- Zach LaVine would “absolutely love to move on from Sacramento,” according to Ham (YouTube link), though his maximum-salary contract will be a major impediment. Ham suggests there was a “ray of hope” about a potential deal with the Bucks involving Kyle Kuzma and Bobby Portis, but that outcome seems less likely as a result of Milwaukee’s recent struggles and Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s latest calf strain.
Central Notes: Cavs, Ball, Wade, Vucevic, Walker
Cavaliers wings De’Andre Hunter and Dean Wade have generated some interest on the trade market, and opposing teams continue to check in with Cleveland to see whether the club would be open to breaking up its “core four” of Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen, writes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com.
However, according to Fedor, the Cavs’ front office has consistently conveyed that it’s not interest in a significant shake-up and that it believes a healthy version of the current roster is capable of contending in the Eastern Conference.
As a result, Fedor believes any major roster changes are more likely to happen in the offseason, though he can envision Cleveland making a smaller deadline deal, perhaps involving Lonzo Ball. The veteran point guard hasn’t been the impact reserve the Cavs hoped he would be, and his contract – which includes a $10MM team option for 2026/27 – could appeal to a team seeking more cap flexibility this offseason.
One possible target for the Cavs is Naji Marshall, according to Fedor, who says Cleveland is among the teams to express interest in the Mavericks forward. While a deal centered around Ball and Marshall may intrigue the Cavs, Dallas is reportedly seeking at least a first-round pick for the veteran wing, and it’s unclear if Cleveland wants to give up its lone movable first-rounder (either 2031 or 2032) at this time, given the club’s up-and-down performance this season.
We have more from around the Central:
- Describing Dean Wade as “unheralded and overlooked” in a separate story for Cleveland.com (subscription required), Fedor says the veteran forward is one of the Cavaliers‘ best defenders and is a critical connector in some of their most effective lineups. “He’s the ultimate glue guy,” head coach Kenny Atkinson said. “That’s the cliche everyone uses but it’s true.” Wade is extension-eligible through June 30 and will reach unrestricted free agency if he doesn’t sign a new deal by then.
- Bulls center Nikola Vucevic recognizes that it could be an active trade deadline in Chicago, given that more than half the roster is on expiring contracts. Still, as Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times relays, Vucevic referred to his teammates as a “great group” and said he’d welcome the opportunity to finish the season with them. “There are a lot of guys that have a chip on their shoulders and want to prove people wrong because we’ve been doubted,” the big man said. “I would like to see what we can do and where we can go this year, but the front office has to make decisions and we all understand that.”
- A big offseason is on tap for Pacers forward Jarace Walker, who will be extension-eligible beginning in July. With that context in mind, it bodes well for the 22-year-old that he’s playing some of the best basketball of his NBA career this January, including setting a new personal high with 26 points in Oklahoma City against the league’s best defense last Friday. “This is an enormous moment for him in his young career,” head coach Rick Carlisle said after the game, per Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star (subscription required). “He just showed all the things that he can do out there. From the shooting to the driving to the defense to the rebounding to passing. It was great to see that.”
Injury Notes: Mathurin, Green, Jerome, Cunningham
The Pacers will be adding a bit more firepower to their offense soon, as Bennedict Mathurin is nearing his return. He is officially being listed as questionable for tomorrow’s game against the Hawks, according to the team (via Twitter).
It has been common this season for players bumped to a “questionable” designation after missing multiple games to suit up as soon as they’ve been upgraded, notes Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star.
Mathurin has missed the last 11 games for Indiana after exiting a January 2 matchup against the Spurs early with a right thumb sprain. He initially tried to play through the injury, but it was decided that some time away to heal would do him good. He also missed 11 of the team’s first 13 games with a big toe sprain.
Mathurin is second in scoring for the Pacers on the season, averaging a career-high 17.8 points per game, which puts him behind only Pascal Siakam (23.8 PPG) and narrowly ahead of Andrew Nembhard (17.7 PPG).
We have more injury notes from around the league:
- Suns guard Jalen Green underwent an MRI following his early departure from Friday’s game, but there was no new injury revealed by the test, according to head coach Jordan Ott (Twitter video link per AZ Central’s Duane Rankin). “That’s great news for us,” Ott said, adding that Green will be considered day-to-day moving forward. “Get a workout today, and we’ll see where he goes this week.” Green has struggled to stay on the floor for multiple games as he looks to fully put his hamstring issues behind him. Twice now, he has played one healthy game before exiting the next one after only a few minutes. “It was just so unlucky, you know, he was feeling so good in the end of that third quarter,” Ott said. “So that’s why you take an image, that’s why you see what it feels like the next day, and we know he’s an incredible healer and a guy that’s gonna do everything it takes to play the next one, so that’s encouraging news.”
- Ty Jerome is nearing his season debut for the Grizzlies, writes Damichael Cole of Memphis Commercial Appeal (Twitter link). “He’s already progressed to five-on-five live,” said coach Tuomas Iisalo (video link). “So we’re very close. I think the evaluation is somewhere within one or two weeks… he still needs to build a little bit of load before the actual games, but he’s doing great, he’s progressing really well.” Jerome signed a three-year deal with Memphis this summer after a breakout year with the Cavaliers that saw him land third in Sixth Man of the Year voting as he averaged 12.5 points and 3.4 assists in just 19.9 minutes per game.
- Cade Cunningham is nursing a wrist injury but is attempting to find the balance between rest and treatment and playing through it for the Pistons, writes Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press (Twitter link). Cunningham downplayed the impact, saying that he felt good coming into Sunday’s game against the Kings. “Felt great this morning, felt great last night, so it’s cool to be able to come out and just… get some reps up with it,” Cunningham said, per Sankofa (Twitter video link). The All-Star guard said that it’s been difficult, but he’s hoping that he’s through the worst of it now. “It’s been a battle as far as, like, mentally, as far as figuring out how I can help us, was not liking how I felt shooting and just constantly kind of, like, flinching when I was shooting ’cause I didn’t know how I would feel,” he said. Cunningham added he thought the injury happened against Cleveland on January 4, when he fell on it, and that it was exacerbated when he got hit in the same spot in the next day’s game against the Knicks. “For the most part we felt like it wasn’t going to get worse from me playing or anything, unless someone smacked it,” he noted. “For me it was just based on if I was willing to play with it hurting like that.”
NBA Announces Schedule Updates For Two Monday Games
Monday’s game between the Pacers and Hawks has been moved up to 12:30 pm CT due to inclement weather in Atlanta, the NBA announced on Sunday (via Twitter).
A second game on Monday will be played earlier as well, with the Sixers and Hornets now slated to tip off at 2:00 pm CT due to the weather conditions in Charlotte, per the league.
The NBA postponed two games on Sunday because of Winter Storm Fern.
As Brad Rowland notes (Twitter link), the Pacers-Hawks game was originally scheduled for 6:30 pm CT. The Sixers-Hornets contest was originally set for 6:00 pm, tweets Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer.
Central Notes: Tomlin, Cunningham, Bucks Trades, Jackson
Cavaliers forward Nae’Qwan Tomlin is likely to be promoted from his two-way deal to a standard contract, but not right away, Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com writes in his latest mailbag (subsciber-only story).
Teammates and coaches are lobbying for Tomlin’s promotion, he has the support of the front office, and Cleveland has an open spot on its 15-man roster.
Still, the cap-strapped team is in no hurry to make the move and will likely keep its roster options open until the trade deadline passes, since Tomlin has only been active for 41 games — that means he’s still nine away from the 50-game threshold for two-way players. The Cavs only have seven games prior to the Feb. 5 trade deadline.
Here’s more from the Central Division:
- The Pistons defeated New Orleans without All-Star starter Cade Cunningham in the lineup on Wednesday. Cunningham sat out due to an illness and a left hip contusion. He’s questionable to play in Detroit’s home game against Houston on Friday, Hunter Patterson of The Athletic tweets.
- The Bucks have limited trade assets but they’re comfortably below the luxury tax line and about $18MM under the first apron. So what kind of moves might they make, short of trading their superstar? The Athletic’s Eric Nehm proposes a number of hypothetical deals, a few of which include Kyle Kuzma, Gary Harris and Amir Coffey as well as a blockbuster that would involve Bobby Portis and several other players to acquire the Kings’ Zach LaVine.
- Quenton Jackson‘s ankle was “jammed,” according to coach Rick Carlisle, during the Pacers’ loss to the Celtics on Wednesday. Jackson wasn’t on crutches in the locker room afterward, according to the Indianapolis Star’s Dustin Dopirak (Twitter link), and seemed to be moving around OK though he was in some pain. He’s questionable to play against Oklahoma City on Friday.
Pacers, Pelicans Have Discussed Mathurin, Missi
The Pacers and Pelicans have explored various trade scenarios that would send fourth-year guard Bennedict Mathurin to New Orleans and second-year center Yves Missi to Indiana, reports Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link).
Fischer classifies the Mathurin/Missi possibility as an “incomplete deal framework,” but confirms that New Orleans has some interest in Mathurin, whom the Pacers have made available as they seek a starting-caliber center. According to Fischer, Indiana is still exploring the market to see if it can extract a stronger return for the 23-year-old Canadian, who is headed for restricted free agency this summer.
Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints and Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal previously wrote about the Pelicans’ interest in Mathurin and discussed the possibility of a deal involving Missi. Michael Scotto of HoopsHype first reported earlier in the month that the Pacers had checked in on the Pelicans big man.
Mathurin is averaging a career-high 17.8 points in 32.2 minutes per game on .423/.366/.876 shooting during the final year of his rookie contract. He has been affected by a right thumb sprain and turf toe, which have limited him to 24 appearances so far and have limited his effectiveness when he has been available. Mathurin is in line for a new contract this offseason and the Pacers – who already have $177MM in guaranteed money on their books – may not be in position to give him the sort of deal he’ll be seeking.
As for Missi, he had a promising rookie year in which he averaged 9.1 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks in 26.8 minutes per game across 73 outings (67 starts). However, his playing time has dropped off this season after New Orleans drafted Derik Queen in June. The 21-year-old has averaged 5.5 PPG and 5.5 RPG in 18.8 MPG and has shifted to a reserve role.
Missi is earning $3.4MM in the second year of his rookie contract, while Mathurin has a cap hit of $9.2MM, so the Pelicans – who are just $2MM away from the luxury tax line and $3.6MM below the first apron – would need to add more salary to make a deal work.
The Pacers are hardly the only team eyeing Missi. The Bulls are also a suitor, Fischer confirms, noting that the big man appears to be generating the most interest of any of the Pelicans who are actually available. The Knicks are another team that has inquired about Missi, according to Scotto (Twitter video link).
Ranking The Pacers' Roster Through 41 Games
- It’s been a rough first half of the season for the Pacers, who arrived at the midway point at 9-32, observes Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. Dopirak examines the performance of every player on the roster through the first 41 games, along with their likelihood to return next season.